Two (Simple) Tips to Keep you Organized

​We’ve all been there….you set aside some valuable time in your busy schedule - you work hard and finally get an area of your home organized.  Everything looks great and for a brief and blissful moment, you don’t feel overwhelmed by the chaos of all your “stuff”.  Fast forward about 2 weeks later and your neatly organized area now looks like a disaster zone! 
If you are tired and frustrated with the revolving door of organization and clutter, try following these 2 (simple) tips to break the cycle and keep your space organized over time.

Labels, Labels, Labels….on everything!
​If everything has its own special spot, things magically tend to stay in place.  When making labels for most areas of your home/office, it helps to keep the label category more broad than specific.  For example….in the pantry, a “snacks” label will make it easier to successfully keep items in their proper place versus making a label for a specific snack.  This allows you to have some flexibility with your organization without derailing the entire system and you won’t feel so restricted when trying to put things back in their place.  Labels also allow EVERYONE who uses the space to maintain the organizational system (even kids)…win-win for everyone!

Don’t underestimate the power of some “wiggle” room.
​One of the biggest problems people have when trying to keep a area organized is the lack of space.  We try to cram way too much stuff into an area that simply can’t accommodate it.  To help you maintain an organizational system over time, it helps to try and leave about 25% of the space empty.  This is especially true for areas where you tend to have fluctuation in the amount of products you have in the space  (like a pantry).  By leaving some “wiggle” room, you have space for incoming items without ruining your organizational system.  This also helps you to visually see when it might be time to “edit” some of your items that are piling up or that you are no longer using.
 
These are some simple tips that anyone can follow and they will significantly improve how you maintain your organization over time!
Happy Organizing!
Jen and Emily